Do you know about Grave’s disease?

We live because our body performs many functions like respiration, circulation, excretion and all of these functions are controlled by hormones, which are produced by endocrine glands and exocrine glands of our body. These hormones control the functioning of the body by acting on the target site. They act as the trigger for occurrence of many vital functions. A slight delay in the trigger point may lead to catastrophic outcomes. It is not only important that these hormones are secreted but also it is equally important that these hormones are secreted in the right amount, failing to which many complications can occur, resulting in malfunctioning of some of the organ systems.

The hormones are secreted by the numerous glands that are present in our body such as the pancreas, adrenal gland, testes, ovary and the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is by far the largest gland in our body and secretes thyroxine and thyronine. The thyroid hormones are very important for carbohydrate metabolism and cellular respiration. Thyroid hormones become functional only in the presence of iodine and hence iodine is an important component of our diet. Imbalance of thyroid hormone can lead to may complications such as weight gain, fatigue, wasting of muscles and bone, increasing of heart rate and abrupt changes in menstrual cycle.

Hyperthyroidism, a condition in which thyroid hormones are produced in excess quantities than required by the body, can also create many problems in the body such as weight loss, trouble in controlling diabetes despite taking medicines and the mother of all – Grave’s disease. Grave’s disease, which happens due to hyperthyroidism, can lead to many visible problems in the body such as the goitre, which the name given to enlargement of thyroid gland, resulting in a swollen neck. In some cases, grave’s disease is also associated with skin thickening especially in the lower part of the leg.